Fluid draining device



Sept. 14, 1948. A I I 2,449,060

FLUID DRAINING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1945 INVENTOR HERBERT D. DAIGLEATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1948 NITED 1' FLUID'DRAINING DEVICEHerbertiDrDaigle, Providence, R. I. Application August 1, 1945, SerialNo. 608,336

" I Claim. (Cl. 222-566) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

" amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates toadevice for draining fluid from one container into another, and moreparticu1arly,.to the drainingby gravity-of a fluid from a fixedcontainer or tank having no accessible opening other than one located onthe bottom of the tank. a

Occasions frequently arise when it is necessary to drain oi the fluidcontents of a tank, as for instance gasoline, without permitting anyloss thereof by spillage while transferring the contents into anotherreceptacle. Gne such instance is occasioned when it is desired to emptythe wing tanks'of an airplane. These tanks are frequently so positionedwithin the wing that the only accessible drainage element is a disc orscrew-type drain plug situated in the bottom of the tank. I

Heretofore, when draining such a container has been customary to unscrewthe drain plug by utilizing an ordinary wrench or key held in the handsof the operator. One of the chief d sadvantages of this procedure hasbeen that mstantaneously upon the removal of the plug, the fluid wouldpour in an uncontrolled flow and a substantial portion thereof would bespilled before it could be properly confined or guided into a lowerpositioned receptacle. In addition to this loss, if the spilled fluidwere gasolme, a greater disadvantage would result from the increasedfire hazard. A further disadvantage encountered was that the operator,in his haste to remove his hands from beneath the flow, might drop thedrain plug to the ground or it might be lost by falling into thereceptacle below.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for safely andrapidly extracting the drain plug and conducting all the fluid contentsinto a lower positioned receptacle.

The advantages of this device are that when placed in operative positionit completely confines the flow of liquid so that no loss occurs fromspilling. This not only reduces the fire hazard, but prevents the fluidfrom soiling the hands or clothing of the operator. In addition, itpermits the drain plug to be extracted without danger of its being lost.These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe detailed description and from the accompanying drawings whichillustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device operatively positionedbeneath a fluid container.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partially broken away to closed bottom plate. Iin. the

.2. show in cross section certain features of the in vention. p l v V Aconduit having a main body portion [and formed of suitable material suchas metal or plastic, is providedat its upper extremitywith" an intakeopening defined by a circumferential'lip 2. This lip, when in operativeposition; is designed to form a sea-ling engagement withjthe outersurface of the container 3 and to encircle a drain plug 4 removablypositioned on the container. A downwardly extending spout portion 5.isaffixed to the main body portion I and serves as a discharge conduitforthecontents of. the container. The lower extremity of thebodyflconstitutes a, trap portion .6 terminating iii. a center of which aguide bushing Sis located, provided with a fluid seal packing gland 9. Amovable guide rod Ill, having a handle grip formed on its lowerextremity, extends through this gland and bushing upwardly into the bodyportion I. A key-like member II is attached to the upper end of themovable rod Ill for engaging with and extracting the plug 4.

Having described the component parts of the invention, the followingoperational description will enable one to clearly understand theadvantages to be derived by employing this device.

When it is desired to drain a fuel tank, such as 3 in Fig. 2, the deviceis manually positioned as shown with respect to the tank. A storage tankor container into which it is desired to transfer the fluid is suitablypositioned to receive the gravitational flow from the spout of thedischarge conduit 5. The guide rod Ill is then moved upwards by means ofits external handle until the key-member ll engages with the drain plug.In the adaptation shown, this key has two finger lugs extending upwardsand fitting into matched recesses in the plug. However, any othersuitable coupling arrangement may be used for imparting rotary movementto the plug. The key is then turned by means of the handle causing thethreaded plug to be released from the container opening. The plug willthen remain positioned upon the key and may be lowered (Fig. 2) so asnot to partially obstruct the flow of fuel into the discharge conduit 5.If perchance the plug, after being unscrewed, should become disengagedfrom the supporting key, it will fall down and be retained within thetrap 6 from which it can be readily recovered after the device isdetached from the emptied tank.

The guide bushing 8 permits free and independent longitudinal androtational movement of the rod and key elements while maintaining themin axial alignment with respect to the bore of the drain opening in thetank to which the device is attached. This feature permits thereinsertion of the plug into the tank if desired prior to the completedrainage of its contents. After the plug has been removed from withinthe body I, any liquid retained within the trap portion 6 may be drainedout into the discharge conduit by tilting the device.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

Having thus described the construction and operation of the device, whatis claimed as the invention is:

A draining device adapted to be detachably associated with a containerto be drained of its fluid contents through a removable drain plug,

said draining device comprising a substantially cylindrical body memberprovided with an open intake end, said body member when in operativeposition having said open intake end in engaging contact with an area ofsaid container surrounding said drain plug, a base plate secured toandclo'sing said body member opposite said open intake end, a drain plugextracting means, said extracting means comprising means within saidbody member for gripping said drain plug, a guide rod extending througha fluid seal opening in said base plate, said gripping means beingsecured to an end of said guide rod, said guide 'rodand said grippingmeans being movable with 5 Number respect to said body memberindependently in rotary and longitudinal directions, the end of saidguide rod opposite said gripping means providing means for impartingmovement to said guide rod, said gripping means when movedlongitudinally towards said intake end becomin positioned to engage saiddrain plug to permit its extraction from said container by rotationthereof, said drain plug after extraction being retained by saidgripping means, a fluid discharge conduit attached and opening into saidbody member, said body member extending from its intersection with saiddischarge conduit and providing a trap extending to said base plate,said trap being adapted to retain said gripping means and said drainplug during the draining of said container through said dischargeconduit upon longitudinal movement of said guide rod away from said openend, the depth of said trap from said intersection to said base platebeing greater than the combined longitudinal thickness of said grippingmeans and said drain plug whereby said trap precludes loss of said drainplug through said discharge conduit.

HERBERT D. :DAIGLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES :PATEN' IS Number Name Date 1,582,758 Jones Apr. 27, "1926FOREIGN PATENTS V v Country Date 666,920 France May '28, 1929

